Connector



Aug. 31, 1965 w. s. AUSHERMAN 3,204,215

CONNECTOR Filed April 12. 1962 III- INVENTOR. WILLIAM S. AUSHERMAN United States Patent 3,294,216 QUNNECTGR William S. Ausherman, 35% N. Topeka, Wichita, Kans. Filed Apr. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 187,010 1 Claim. (El. 339-237) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in connectors for detachably coupling a battery cable to a battery terminal, and more particularly pertains to a connector that includes a reciprocably mounted slide clamp that can be releasably forced into clamping engagement with a battery terminal.

The present invention has the same general purposes and objectives as set forth in my Patent No. 3,047,833 dated July 31, 1962 and entitled Battery Terminal Connector, and in my Patent No. 3,047,834 dated July 31, 1962 and entitled Cable Connector. To the extent that the disclosures set forth in these patents are applicable to this specification, such patents are herein incorporated by reference.

The primary object of the instant invention is to provide a connector adapted for detachably coupling a battery cable to a battery terminal that is compact, simple and economical to produce, that can be easily mechanically and electrically coupled to either the positive or negative terminals of conventional automobile batteries (which are frequently of differing diameters) whether the battery terminals aret cylindrical or tapered in configura tion, and which connector can be efiicaciously removed from the battery terminal to which it is connected.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a connector of the character specified above which can be conveniently cast from materials such as brass or bronze and which cast articles will require a minimum of machining.

A final object of the instant invention to be specifically enumerated is to provide a connector of the character previously specified wherein a battery terminal engaging component thereof is adapted to present different surfaces for engagement with the battery terminal and which component of the connector can be replaced if desired.

Broadly, the present invention has to do with structure in a connector for detachably coupling a battery cable to a battery terminal comprising a body member having a vertical opening extending therethrough, said opening being horizontally elongated with the horizontal periphcry thereof being defined by the bounding portions of the body member comprising a pair of opposed side walls that extend in the direction of the major horizontal dimension of the opening and which are generally parallel in horizontal section for at least a portion of such extent, such side walls being connected at one end by a concave wall having a surface that is at least in part conformable in horizontal section to a substantially circular arc and such side walls being connected at their other end by an end wall, a slide clamp disposed in the opening having opposite sides slidingly engageable with the portions of the side walls of the body member that are generally parallel in horizontal section and such slide clamp being horizontally reciprocable toward and away from the concave wall of the body member, said slide clamp having a clamping side adjacent the concave wall of the body member that is at least in part conformable in horizontal section to a generally circular arc, means threaded through the end wall of the body and engageable with a side of the slide clamp opposite the clamping side thereof for urging the slide clamp toward the concave wall of the body member, said side walls of the body member each being provided with a slot that extends in the direction of the major horizontal dimension of the opening and said clamp being provided with a pair of oppositely extending projections with each of such projections 3,204,216 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 being slidable in a respective one of said slots in an arrangement such that the slide clamp is prevented from vertical displacement from the opening during at least a portion of its reciprocable travel path in the opening.

Another aspect of the invention involves the provision of a connector of the character defined above being additionally provided with means adapted for securing the body member to a battery cable, such means comprising the body member having a recess therein adapted to receive an end of a battery cable, with means being threaded in the body member and into the recess for engaging a battery cable therein.

Still another aspect of the invention involves the provision of a connector such as that defined in the penultimate paragraph, wherein the projections are in essential alignment and the slide clamp is at least oscillatable about the axis defined by the projections. With the slide clamp being oscillatable as described, the connector is better adapted for engagement with a tapered battery terminal even through the battery terminal engaging surfaces of the body member and the slide clamp are cylindrical, though the invention encompasses either one or both of the concave surfaces of the body member and the slide clamp being generally conformable to the frustrum of a cone. One version of the invention involves the slide clamp being oscillatable between at least two distinct positions such as to selectively present two distinct concave surfaces toward the concave wall of the body member, such two distinct concave surfaces of the slide clamp having ditfering concave configurations if desired.

A final important aspect of the instant invention to be specifically recited involves the provision of a connector of the character previously defined wherein the slots in the body member are at least in part vertically inclined so as to intersect with a bounding surface of the body member defining the vertical extent thereof, whereby the slide clamp can be detached from the body member by moving the projections along the slots through such intersections. Though the scope of the invention encompasses the slots being inclined to the horizontal plane at an acute angle throughout their entire extent or only through a portion thereof, it is preferred that the slots be L- or T-shaped so that one portion of each of the slots is solely horizontal and the other portion of such slot is solely vertical.

Other aspects of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will become apparent in the light of the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an inclined top view of a preferred form of the connector showing the same connected to a battery cable;

FiGURE 2 is a top plan view of the connector shown in FIGURE 1, this view presenting certain hidden details of the construction in dashed outline, and showing the connector coupled to a battery cable;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the connector shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, such view being taken as the connector is viewed from the left hand side as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the body member of the connector shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, this view being taken upon the plane of the section line 4-4 shown in FIGURE 2-,

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of a modified form of the slide clamp, such modified slide clamp being adapted for use with the body member of the connector shown in the previously described figures.

FiGURE 6 is an inclined top view of a modified form of the connector according to the invention;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the connector shown 3 in FIGURE 6, with certain hidden details of the structure being shown in dashed outline and with the connector shown attached to a battery cable;

FIGURE 8 is an end view of the connector shown in FIGURES 6 and 7;

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view of the body member of the connector shown in FIGURES 6 through 8, inclusive, this view being taken upon the plane of the section line 99 in FIGURE 7; and,

FIGURE 10 is an isometric view of the slide clamp of the connector shown in FIGURES 6 through 9, inclusive.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various figures and making initial reference to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 through 4, inclusive, the reference numeral 10 designates generally a'connector for detachably coupling a battery cable to a battery terminal comprising a body member 12 and a slide clamp 14. The body member 12 has substantially flat and parallel upper and lower sides 16 and 1S, and is preferably made of a material having good mechanical and electrical properties for the purposes of structural strength, ease of fabrication and high electrical conductivity. Also, the body member 12 is preferably made of a material having good characteristics as to resistance to corrosion. Copper alloys such as brass or bronze are suitable for the body member 12.

The body member 12 is provided with a horizontally elongated opening 20 that extends vertically therethrough, such opening 20 being horizontally defined by bounding portions of the body member comprising a pair of opposed, parallel side walls 22 and 24 that are connected by .a concave wall 26 at one end and by an end wall 28 at the end of the opening 20 opposite the concave wall 26. The side Walls 22 and 24 are provided with horizontally elongated slots 30 and 32, respectively, with the slots 30 and 32 being disposed centrally with respect to the vertical extent of the side walls 22 and 24. The slot 30 extends entirely through the body member 12 horizontally from the opening 20.

The slide clamp 14 is preferably made of the same character of material as the body member 12 and preferably has upper and lower surfaces that are essentially coplanar with the upper and lower surfaces 16 and 18 of the body member 12. The slide clamp 14 has opposite sides 34 and 36 that are generally complementary to and in slideable engagement with the body member walls 22 and 24 respectively.

Means is provided to prevent vertical displacement of the slide clamp 14 from the opening 20 in the body member 12. Such means comprises the slide clamp 14 being provided with oppositely extending projections 38 and 40 that respectively project into and are slideable in the slots 30 and 32 respectively. The projections 38 and 40 are preferably defined and fabricated by a cylindrical pin 42 of circular transverse section that is press fitted or otherwise secured through a suitable opening in the silde clamp 14 as indicated in FIGURE 2. Such construction admits of convenient fabrication and assembly, it being noted that assembly is accomplished by positioning the slide clamp 14 in the opening 20 as shown and the pin 42 then being forced through the opening in the slide clamp 14 through the slot 30 to the assembled position shown thereof in FIGURE 2. It will be noted that the relationship of the slide clamp '14 with its projections 38 and 40 to the body member 12 is such that the slide clamp 14 can be oscillated with respect to the body member 12 about an axis defined by the projections 38 and 40 for a purpose presently to become apparent.

The slide clamp 14 has a clamping side 44 of concave configuration that is presented toward the concave wall 26 of the body member 12. The concave Wall 26 is'essentially semi-circular in horizontal section and can be conformable to a circular cylinder, or if deemed necessary or expedient the concave wall 26 can be conformable to a frustrum of a cone. The concave or clamping side 44 of the slide clamp 14 is in horizontal section conformable to a circular arc, .and can be conformable to a circular cylinder; however, the concave side 44 of the slide clamp 14 can be conformable to a frustrum of a cone if desired. "It will be evident to those skilled in the art that giving the surfaces 26 and 44 configurations conformable to or complementary to a circular cylinder is best suited to circular cylindrical battery terminals, while giving such surfaces configurations conformable to conical frustrums makes them better suited for use with battery terminals of conical configuration. The radius of curvature of the concave side 44 of the slide clamp 14 can be equal to, or greater or less than the radius of curvature of the concave wall 26 of the body member 12. Although the concave side 44 of the slide clamp 14 and the concave wall 26 are shown as having equal radii of curvature, the radius of curvature of the former can be complementary to a cylindrical cylinder of inch diameter, and the latter giving a radius of curvature conformable to a circular cylinder of 78 inch diameter, inasmuch as it is conventional for the positive and negative terminals of automobile storage batteries to have such dimensions respectively.

A cap screw. 46 is adjustably threaded through the end wall 28 of the body member 12 so as to bear against the side of the slide clamp 14 opposite the concave side 44 of the slide clamp 14, whereby the slide clamp 14 can be adjustably and forcibly urged toward the concave wall 26 so that a battery terminal (not shown) can be clamped between the slide clamp 14 and the concave wall 26 of the body member 12. If deemed necessary or expedient, the side of the slide clamp 14 adjacent the cap screw 46 can be recessed or dimpled at 48 to receive the adjacent extremity of the cap screw 46, though the provision of such dimple or recess 48 is not necessary and is not preferred. As mentioned previously, the slide clamp 14 is oscillatable about the axis defined by the pin 42, such oscillatable character of the mounting for the slide clamp 14 affording the advantage that the concave side 44 thereof can more readily conform to a tapered battery terminal. In this connection and so that the forcible engagement of the cap screw 46 with the slide clamp 14 will not tend to cause oscillation of the slide clamp 14 about the pin 42 as an axis, the central portion of the side of the slide clamp 14 opposite the concave side 44 thereof can be given a cylindrical curvature that is coaxial with the pin 42; however, such provision is not by any means essential and is not illustrated as forming a part of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

Means is provided for detachably securing the body member 12 .to the electrical conductors 50 of an insulated battery cable 52. Such means comprises the body member 12 being provided with a rectangular recess 54 that is separated from the slot 32 and the opening 20 by a. partition 56. A cap screw58 is threaded through the body member 12 and extends into the recess 54 so as to engage. the electrical conductors 50 as shown in FIG- URE 2 and as described in greater detail in my hereinbefore mentioned copending applications. The cap screws 46 and 58 can be formed of the same material as the body member 12 and the slide clamp 14, or such cap screws can be made of steel and galvanized or otherwise coated or treated so as to retard or prevent corrosion thereof.

Attention is now directed to FIGURE 5 wherein there is illustrated .a modified form of the slide clamp 14, such modified slide clamp being designated generally by the reference numeral 60. The slide clamp 60 is made of the same class of materials as set forth in connection with slide clamp 14 and has opposite sides 62 and 64 adapted for sliding engagement with the side walls 22 and 24 of the body member 12. In addition, the slide clamp 60 is provided with oppositely extending projections 66 and 68 for slideable reception in the slots 30 and 32 respectively. As in the case of the slide clamp 14, the projections 66 and 68 can be defined by a single cylindrical pin press fitted through an opening in the body of the slide clamp 60. In any event the reception of the projections 66 and 68 in the slots 30 and 32 is such that the slide clamp 60 is oscillatable between positions presenting selectively a concave surface 70 and a second concave surface 72 toward the concave wall 26 of the body member 12. In the preferred construction the concave surface 70 has the same radius of curvature as the concave wall 26, while the concave surface 72 has a differing radius of curvature, preferably lesser. Althrough the concave surfaces 70 and 72 are shown at right angles to each other in an arrangement requiring that the clamp 60 must be oscillated 90 so as to selectively present the surfaces 70 and 72 toward the concave wall 26, such angular relationship is not essential and if deemed necessary or expedient such concave surfaces 70 and 72 can bear any desired angular relationship with respect to each other as for example 180 rather than 90. With the illustrated 90 angular relationship between the concave surfaces 70 and 72, the sides of the clamp 60 opposite such surfaces can be slightly recessed or dimpled for reception of the extremity of the cap screw 46, the recess diametrically opposed to the concave surface 72 being indicated at 74 in FIG- URE 5. The principal advantage attending the use of the slide clamp 60 in lieu of the slide clamp 14 is that clamping surfaces of distinctively differing radius of curvature can be efiicaciously presented toward the concave wall 26 for engagement of a battery terminal therebetween.

Passing now to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 6 through inclusive, the reference numeral 80 designates generally the modified connector. The connector 80 is comprised of a body member 82 having a horizontally elongated opening 84 extending vertically therethrough, the opening 84 being defined by the body member 82 having opposed parallel side walls 86 and 88 that are connected by a concave wall 90. The end of the opening 84 opposite the concave wall 90 is defined by an end wall 92 through which a cap screw 94 is adjustably threaded for engagement with a slide clamp 96 disposed in the opening 84. The slide clamp 96 has sides 98 and 100 in sliding engagement with the side walls 86 and 88 respectively.

The slide clamp 96 is provided with a clamping or concave side 102 that is presented toward the concave wall 90 of the body member 82, and the slide clamp 96 is additionally provided with integral, oppositely extending projections 104 and 106 (see FIGURE 10) of rectangular transverse section that are respectively slidably received in slots 108 and 110 in the side walls 86 and 88. The transverse dimensions of the projections I04 and 106, which are in alignment, are such that a small amount of oscillation of the slide clamp 96 about such projections as an axis can occur, though of course if deemed necessary or expedient such transverse dimensions can be such that very little if any oscillation of the character defined is permitted. The slots 108 and 110 are L- or T-shaped so as to intersect with the upper, or upper and lower, surfaces of the body member 82 at positions adjacent the end wall 92 indicated at 112 and 114 respectively. The arrangement is such that the slide clamp 96 can be moved to a position such that the projections 104 and 166 coincide with the portions of the slots indicated at 112 and 114 whereupon the slide clamp 96 can be vertically separated from the body member 82. Of course a reverse procedure is followed in a sembling the slide clamp 92 with the body member 82. An alternative to the illustrated T- or L-shape of the slots 108 and 110 can consist in the slots being inclined to the horizontal plane at an acute angle so as to intersect the upper surface of the body member 82 adjacent the end wall 92 for the same purpose. Though this construction is not illustrated, it would subject the battery terminal to shearing engagement by the clamp 96 to obtain better electrical contact and could therefor be preferred in some circumstances. If desired or deemed convenient, the slide clamp 96 can be provided with a recess such as shown at 116 for receiving the adjacent end of the cap screw 94.

As in the case of the previously described embodiment of the invention, the radius of curvature of the concave side 162 of the slide clamp 96 can be equal to or greater or less than the radius of curvature of the concave side of the body member 80, and either one or both of such members can optionally be conformable to cylindrical or conical surfaces. Also, the body member 82 and the slide clamp 96 can be formed of the same materials indicated as suitable for the body member 12 and the slide clamp 14.

The connector 80 is also provided with means for detachably securing the same to the electrical conductors 118 of an insulated battery cable 120, such means comprising the body member 82 being providedd with a recess 122 of rectangular transverse configuration, and a cap screw 124 is threaded through the body member 82 into the recess 122 so as to engage the conductors 113 within the recess 122 as shown in FIGURE 7. The recess 122 opens into the slot 110, so that if deemed necessary or desirable the electrical conductors 118 can be extended into the opening 84 so as to be engageable by the slide clamp 96. In the event it is deemed necessary or desirable to extend the electrical conductors 118 into the opening 84, the side of the slide clamp 96 adjacent the slot can be cut away (not shown) in order to accommodate the conductors 118 and to permit the conductors to be engaged between the battery terminal, not shown, and the concave surface 102 of the slide clamp 96.

As the illustrated and described embodiments of the invention are susceptible to numerous variations and modifications without departing from the principles of the invention, attention is directed to the appended claim in order to ascertain the actual scope of the invention.

I claim:

A connector for detachably coupling a battery cable to a battery terminal comprising a body member having a vertical opening extending therethrough, said opening being horizontally elongated with the horizontal periphery thereof being defined by the bounding portions of the body member comprising a pair of opposed first and second side walls that extend in the direction of the major horizontal dimension of the opening and which are generally parallel in horizontal section for at least a portion of such extent, such side walls being connected at one end by a concave wall having a surface that is at least in part conformable in horizontal section to a substantially circular arc and such side walls being connected at their other end by an end wall, a slide clamp disposed in the opening having opposite generally parallel sides slidingly engaging the portions of the side walls of the body member that are generally parallel in horizontal section and such slide clamp being horizontally reciprocable toward and away from the concave wall of the body member, said slide clamp having a clamping side adjacent the concave wall of the body member that is at least in part conformable in horizontal section to a generally circular are, a first screw threaded through the end wall of the body and engageable with a side of the slide clamp opposite the clamping side thereof for urging the slide clamp toward the concave wall of the body member, said first and second side walls of the body member being respectively provided with first and second horizontal slots that extend in the direction of the major horizontal dimension of the vertical opening, with the first slot having a bottom and the second slot opening entirely through the second side wall, said slide clamp being provided With a pair of oppositely extending rigid projections With each of such projections being slideable in a respective one of said slots in an arrangement such that the slide clamp is prevented from vertical displacement from Within the opening, said slide clamp having a circular opening therethrough, a circular pin fixedly retained in the circular opening and having its opposite ends extending from the slide clamp and constituting said projections with the latter being of circular transverse section, means adapted for securing the body member to a battery cable, said last means comprising the body member having a recess therein adapted to receive an end of a battery cable, with the bottom of the first slot constituting a partition separating the recess from the vertical opening, and a second screw threaded in the body member and into the recess for engaging a battery cable therein, said first and second screws being parallel to each other and oppositely extending from the body member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,359,013 11/20 Zuck et a1. 24135 1,821,486 9/31 Taylor 339-237 2,030,269 2/36 Roche 292-73 X 2,121,629 6/38 Gladstone 339234 2,132,967 10/38 Pennell 339-272 2,205,322 6/40 Thomas et a1. 339272 2,589,122 3/52 Olson 339-275 2,682,651 6/54 Thomas 339227 X JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner. 

